Six heartwarming dog stories to bring a tear to your eye

Who’s a good boy? Get a load of these inspiring pooches from around the world!

Who’s a good boy? Get a load of these inspiring pooches from around the world!

Dogs. There are many good reasons why they have come to be known as (hu)man’s best friend. We bring you tales of heroic hounds that will make you appreciate your own four-legged friends more than ever…

1. Naida the lifeguard, Russia

Little Andrei Pavlov, 4, had been followed around by a stray dog all day in his Serbian home city of Krasnoyarsk. The small boy was feeding ducks near where he lived, when the ice beneath him cracked and he fell into the freezing water.

Immediately, the stray began barking frantically and hunting for help. A woman who regularly fed the city’s stray dogs found the dog, and followed her back to the pond where nearby workers helped pull the boy to safety. The dog was adopted by a family 500km away and named Naida by her very proud new owners.

2. Max the shield, Brazil

It was meant to be an ordinary walk for Osmar Persisco of Garibaldi, Brazil, and his dog Max. But then the pair were accosted by armed robbers demanding Osmar’s car keys.

When he refused, they shot him. The bullet grazed the Osmar’s head, but it also spurred Max into action. He jumped up and attacked the robbers. One fled immediately, but the other shot Max twice in the chest and once in the leg before running off. Fortunately, Max made a full recovery.

3. Kiko the biter, USA

Jerry Douthett had ignored months of trouble with his toe, but when it became infected his wife insisted that he seek medical attention. He agreed, but went via the bar, downing several beers and two giant margaritas! He ended up passed out in bed rather than at the hospital.

That night, his terrier Kiko turned medical professional and chewed off most of the infected toe. In the morning, Jerry had no choice but to go to the hospital, where the remains of the toe were amputated and doctors discovered that his blood sugar levels were dangerously high - over quadruple normal levels.

Diabetes was diagnosed, and it’s probably down to this condition that Jerry couldn’t feel Kiko doing his work during the night. While he wasn’t impressed by the dog’s chewing antics, Jerry appreciates that Kiko did inadvertently save his life. He does, however, wear shoes to bed these days!

4. China the babysitter, Argentina

It was a freezing cold night in La Plata, capital of the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, when a dog named China found a baby girl abandoned in a field. China carried the girl back to the pen that housed her and her newborn puppies.

Throughout the night, the family of dogs kept the girl warm and that’s how China’s owner found them in the morning. The baby was taken to hospital, where she was named Esperanza, meaning Hope.

5. The stray samaritan, Australia

In the Australian town of Maningrida, what began as a domestic dispute had escalated quickly. A man had begun by beating his partner in front of other family members, before dragging her out into the street.

The blows continued until a stray dog intervened, biting the attacker on the back, and finally bringing the woman’s ordeal to an end. Her assailant was arrested and sentenced to three months in prison, all thanks to the passing stray dog.

6. Molly the fire alarm, USA

At 2am, a fire broke out in a family home while seven people slept on, oblivious. Only Molly, one of the family’s dogs, was aware of what was going on, and woke up the family so they could escape to safety.

In total, Molly saved the lives of seven people, four cats and two dogs. Even more remarkable is that Molly was blind, and two months before the fire had been given only two months to live. Two years later, and she’s still alive and happily wagging her tail.

What’s your puppy story?

Do you have a perfect pooch in your life? Much as we love them, there’s no denying that some dogs really do know how to make a mess. If yours loves nothing more than having a roll in muddy puddles during walkies before running round the house distributing dirt everywhere as soon as you get home, you need Flash Ultra.

To get rid of those muddy pawprints, whether they’re on the floor or all over the walls, Flash Ultra Power Multi Surface has more cleaning power than ever before and removes up to 100% of dirt, grease and grime, killing 99.9% of bacteria in one minute.